Video game fans will be pleased to hear about the latest growth and exposure opportunity of eSports.
Turner Broadcasting has partnered with WME|IMG to help launch a new professional league of eSports, E-League.
The launch of E-League is set for 2016, with a kickoff at the 2016 Consumer Electronics Show in Las Vegas from January 6-9. E-League will feature pro-level competitive gaming and 30 hours of competition weekly on digital platforms. The live competitions are filmed in front of an audience. The television debut of E-League is expected to feature the popular team combat game, Counter-Strike: Global Offensive.
Select matches will also be televised on TBS where ten consecutive weeks of eSports programming will be aired twice a year, including playoffs and championships. They are planning to target the Friday night block for air time.
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ESPN2 previously tried streaming competitive gaming. Their presentation of “Heroes of the Dorm” was a college-level tournament. The pro gamers played Bilzzard Entertainment’s “Heroes of the Storm.” Unfortunately, the tournament failed to gain traction. But Turner and WME|IMG are still optimistic.
By broadcasting E-League on TBS, Turner and WME|IMG are hopeful that it will attract more fans due to TBS’s ability to reach over 90 million homes and the live streaming will aim to grab the attention of TBS’s younger viewers.
“There is no doubt in our mind that this is a sport – these are athletes,” commented Lenny Daniels, president of Turner Sports. “What hasn’t happened is that it hasn’t been exposed to a mainstream audience.”
From a macro perspective, E-League certainly seems to be launched at the right time. Games are becoming more complex and impressive and millions of fans around the world tune in online to watch the main tournaments already.
We will certainly be monitoring the progress of E-League closely to see if this truly is the next global sport.